Since my last two posted recipes has been with rhubarb I thought, why not continue on that road. It might also has to do with the fact that our fridge is still full of red and green deliciously looking rhubarb. Every spring I become amazed by the incredible flavor that comes from the combination of rhubarb and sugar. I mean rhubarb without sugar is tangy, crunchy and very interesting if added to savory dishes (which I have discovered just recently) but when combined with sugar it becomes a whole different thing. I always try to stock our pantry and freezer with various rhubarb preserves so that I can enjoy them all year around. But every year around December I realize that our supply of rhubarb preserves is running out. I wonder how that happens…
These rhubarb muffins are perfect with a cup of tea in the afternoon, on a picnic, for breakfast (if you are into sweet things at this time of the day) or at any time you crave for something sweet but yet a bit filling. If you look at the amount of sugar given in the recipe you might not believe that these muffins are semi sweet. Thing is that most muffin recipes contain a much higher amount of sugar than this. But still, they are of course sweet. I have also included a small amount of whole grain flour in the recipe to make them a bit more filling. You could either increase or decrease that amount depending on your liking. The lemon zest gives the muffins a fresh flavor and also fits well with the rhubarb ripple. And regarding the rhubarb ripple, what can I say…it tastes heavenly and you just have to try it!
Rhubarb Ripple Muffins
For the rhubarb compote
- 250 g rhubarb
- 150 g sugar
- 1/2 vanilla pod
For the muffin batter
Dry mix
- 250 g white flour
- 50 g whole grain flour / white flour
- 200 g sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 lemon (zest only)
Wet mix
- 2 dl / 1 cup almond milk
- 1 dl / 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Method:
Rhubarb compote
- Wash and slice the rhubarb.
- Place the rhubarb in a saucepan and add the sugar plus the seeds from 1/2 a vanilla pod.
- Stir while heating it until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to boil and then lower the heat and let it simmer for about ten minutes until the rhubarb is soft and squashy. You want it to look a little bit like jam without any big pieces. Set aside to cool.
Batter
- Heat the oven to 175C / 345F. If you don’t have a fan-assisted oven then increase the heat by 25C /75F.
- Wash the lemon thoroughly and zest it. Set the zest aside.
- Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl (including the lemon zest) and mix.
- Add the wet ingredients in another bowl and mix until it is thoroughly blended.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and stir carefully until it is just well blended with no lumps left.
- Divide equally between 10 medium sized muffin cups filling approximately 2/3.
- Add a spoonful of rhubarb compote in the middle of each muffin and stir carefully so the compote spreads out in a swirl. You may use the back of a spoon for this.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until they get a nice golden color on top.
Note: You may get som rhubarb compote left when all the muffins are filled depending on how big amount you add in each muffin. If this happens I recommend that you serve the leftovers with porridge, bread or pancakes.
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